Sustainability and environmental justice in resource-rich countries

This paper makes the case for improved transparency as a prerequisite for sustainability and environmental justice in resource-rich countries. It argues that transparency is instrumental in overcoming the 'resource curse' in two ways: first, empowering citizens and communities to participate in decision-making, and secondly, fostering more accountable governments and corporations. The idea for the research topic was inspired by the present discussions in Brussels about the EU's new Accounting and Transparency Directive, aimed at the need for greater disclosure of financial information by the extractive and logging industries. The proposal for amending the existing Transparency Directive (2004/109/EC) and Accounting Directives (78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC) comes as a response to developments in the US, where in 2010 the US Congress passed the landmark Dodd-Frank Act.